Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-16
BULL FIGHTING IN MADRID.
Fine Sport to Kings and Queens, blu
Brutal to Americans.

The amphitheater is an immense place,
round like the Roman Colosseum, and the
ring is surrounded by terraced granite"
and crowded with galleries. Six bulls were
doomed to die for our entertainment, but
only out-stayed the taking off of three of
them. 1t was the last grand bul-fgbt of
the season, and the audience was a brilliant
one. The young King and Queen looked
down from their box of state; old Isabella
was there with her daughters and ada
cent boxes We're occupied by lords and la
dies of high degree.
The first bull was very meek. His sole
desire seemed to be, to be let alone. The
picadores, or mounted spearsmen, pricked
him with their lances, aud he looked at
them with an injured air, as if he would
fain have said How can you? l am q
well-intentioned bull, and deserve moth
ing OF this sort" One was divided between
disgust at his want of spirit and indigna-
ton that creature so harmless and kindly
should be foredoomed to death. He walked
up slightly when the banderilleros came in
with their darts and their gay cloaks; but
all through, one fel; that he was being
butchered to make Spanish holiday,
without at all taking his own part, and
, even the matador, whose Office it was to
give him his death wound, performed his
task little scornfully, as if it we're hardly
worth the trouble.
The second bull was q different fellow al
together. Asa young American on my left
expressed it, he was =" all there" He had a
sullen. determined, desperate nature He
gored two horses TO death, literally in an
Instant just uplifting them and running
them through with his mighty horns. He
made sudden plunges at the banderilleros.
and he pushed the great matador himself
to the end of his resources; but at last he
lay there dead, and the team of mules
dragged him out of the arena. He was as
black as an undertaken horse and he had
been solemn and indignant and scornfully
defiant ali the way through.
The third bull was little red one, as
fiery and aggressive creature as can posi-
bly, be imagined. He did not chance to
hurt the horses, but he made swift plunges
at the cloaked banderilleros, which it took
all their skill to escape, and once he even
leaped the barrier, and caused a precious
CONSERVATION among the audience for a
momen. This brilliant creature made hot
work for the banderilleros, and held even
the matador for long time at bay, but at
last he gamely died; the black mules
dragged him away as they had done his
brothers before him
By this time | thought | knew enough
about bull-fghts, and left the King and
Queen and their court to behold the other
three combats without me, and went away
to walk on the prado and reflect My sym
pathies were all with the bulls. They were
the only creatures who had no least show
of fair play. They alone were doomed with
absolute certainty from the start. Even the
horses might escape; and at worst their
torture was but for moment. The men
!
the thing exciting, and there were ninety
nine chances out of hundred that they
would escape scathless; but the bull let
him bear himself never so travely, was to
be made an end of-LoltiSe c. Moulton IL,
Jaly Cosmopolitan